Bevin Cohen is an author, herbalist, seed saver, and owner of Small House Farm in Michigan. He offers workshops and lectures nationwide on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. Bevin is a freelance writer and videographer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including MOTHER EARTH NEWS, Hobby Farms, Grit Magazine, and the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company catalog. He is the author of Saving Our Seeds and The Artisan Herbalist. You can learn more about Bevin’s work at www.SmallHouseFarm.com.
Bevin is speaking in Texas and is a contributor to Mother Earth News Fair Online.Workshops
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Swaps and Seed Libraries
Learn all about the important role that seed swaps and seed libraries play in a preserving history, building community and supporting a localized food system. Bevin will not only highlight the significance of these programs, but will also show you the steps to establish a seed library or organize a seed swap for your community!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Seed-Saving Basics
Build a firm foundation of seed-saving knowledge with this introductory, 101-style video. Learn the difference between heirloom, hybrid, and GMO seeds; gather the equipment you'll need for successful seed harvesting; and discover why this traditional practice is still so valuable today!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Seed Swaps and Seed Libraries: How to Build Sustainable Communities by Sharing Seeds
This energetic presentation from author Bevin Cohen highlights the importance of community seed-sharing programs. Learn why planting, saving, and sharing seeds is essential to the cultivation of sustainable neighborhoods and healthy communities. Discover how to organize a seed swap, establish a seed library, and cultivate healthy changes for your community, from the soil up.
Organic Gardening Nature and Community
Speaking At:
Texas, Sunday 2:00-3:00 p.m., Growing Community Stage
Seed Stories
Learn how the living history of our heirloom seeds is just as important as the seeds themselves. In this video, Bevin shares exciting tales of heritage fruits and vegetables that have traveled the world, influencing the countries and cultures they encountered along the way. By saving and sharing seeds, we're also saving the history, cultures, and stories of the many generations of growers that have tended these precious seeds before us.
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Seed Storage Basics
Once you've learned to harvest and clean your precious seeds, you'll need to know how to properly package and store them to maintain their health and viability! In this video, Bevin walks us through the various storage options available to the seed saver to help the viewer determine which method is best suited to their needs. This video also shows examples of seed storage from a number of well-known seed vaults around the world, including the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault located in Norway!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Seed Saving 101: How to Save Your Garden Seeds
Learn how to save heirloom seeds from your garden, and enjoy a bountiful harvest for years to come! In this fun and informative presentation, author and seed saver Bevin Cohen discusses the difference between open-pollinated, hybrid, and GMO seeds as well as how to harvest, process, and store seeds from dozens of your favorite garden varieties. He also covers the details of pollination, isolation techniques, and the importance of preserving genetic diversity. This workshop includes live demonstrations of seed-saving techniques, and participants leave with a working knowledge of how to incorporate this ancient practice into their gardens at home!
Organic Gardening Keynote
Speaking At:
Texas, Saturday 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mother Earth News Stage
Saving and Sharing Seeds
Join us for an informative presentation from author Bevin Cohen that highlights the importance of saving and sharing our garden seeds and how to successfully do it at home. During this presentation you'll learn why planting, saving, and sharing seeds is essential to the cultivation of sustainable neighborhoods and healthy communities. Cohen will also share practical tips and advice on incorporating the traditional art of seed saving into your garden with demonstrations on how to harvest and process seeds, such as tomatoes, beans, lettuce and kale. Learn more at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR Online site: Maker Series Webinars
Natural Health Hands On
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Pollination and Varietal Purity
In order to be a successful seed saver, one must first understand how seeds are made! This video is packed full of useful information on flower structure and pollination, isolation distancing, blossom bagging and hand pollination techniques to ensure true-to-type seed purity
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Living an Herbal Life: Crafting Teas, Tinctures, and Oils at Home
Join herbalist and author Bevin Cohen for a fun and informative herbal exploration. Discover the benefits of various cultivated and foraged herbs, and explore why developing a relationship with our herbal allies is more important now than ever before. Learn more about the histories and uses of many herbs as well as the basics of crafting a number of herbal wellness products.
Speaking At:
Texas, Sunday 11:30-12:30 p.m., Mother Earth Living Stage
Living an Herbal Life: Crafting teas, tinctures and oils at home
Join herbalist and author Bevin Cohen for a fun and informative herbal exploration. Discover the benefits of various cultivated and foraged herbs and explore why developing a relationship with our herbal allies is more important now than ever before. Learn more about the histories and uses of many herbs as well as the basics of crafting a number of herbal wellness products.
Natural Health Hands On
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Harvesting and Processing Wet Seeds
Many of our favorite garden crops produce "wet seeds." Bevin shows us just how easy it is to harvest, clean, and process these types of seeds; including melons, squash, and peppers. Learn tips and tricks to quickly extract ground cherry, tomatillo, and eggplant seeds, as well as how and why to ferment certain seeds, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Harvesting and Processing Dry Seeds
This is where the seed-saving fun begins! In this video, Bevin demonstrates various methods for harvesting and cleaning "dry seeds," including threshing, screening, and winnowing. Learn how to thresh and winnow a number of different seed types, including beans, peas, radishes, and kale!
Hands On Sustainable Agriculture
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Cold-Pressed Oils: Home-Scale Extraction for the Farm or Homestead
Learn how to produce high-quality seed and nut oils from homegrown and foraged crops from Bevin Cohen, Michigan homesteader and author of The Complete Guide to Seed & Nut Oils. Whether you plan to produce oils for cooking, the apothecary, self-sufficiency and resiliency, or small-scale commercial or community production, this presentation will show you everything you need to know to succeed. Bevin will share his decade of experience as an oil presser and will discuss growing and processing oilseeds; equipment options for ease, cost, and convenience; as well as best-practice techniques for filtering, storing, and using your freshly pressed oils.
Modern Homesteading Organic Gardening
Speaking At:
Texas, Saturday 11:30-12:30 p.m., Real Food Stage